Parents, NY1 Help Bring Air-Conditioned Rides To Special Ed Students
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A group of parents in Manhattan and Brooklyn were unable to get air-conditioned rides to school for their children with special education needs before NY1 got involved. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report. A group of parents was fighting all week to get their children a safe ride to school. They said the bus provided by the Department of Education takes a two-hour route across Manhattan, and in 100-degree heat it was not air conditioned.
Worst of all, the parents said their children are not able to speak up for themselves, since they have autism.
"When he arrived home, he was not just red and drenched like he had just gotten out of the shower, but he was nauseated," said parent Ellen Giglio.
"He couldn't walk, he was faint. He was really flushed and he was just exhausted from just sitting on the bus, drenched in sweat," said parent Petra Falcon. "I asked the bus driver why he didn't put on the air conditioner, and he said he didn't have any air conditioning on his bus, that they weren't mandated for air conditioning."
The DOE is busing about 33,000 students to summer school this year, and about 25,000 are special education students. Parents say A/C is guaranteed only for students with a doctor’s note saying they have a heat-related medical condition.
The parents say air conditioning in triple-digit temperatures should not require a doctor's note.
"All kids are mandated for a safe ride, for a ride that keeps them healthy and they don't come off with heat stroke," said parent Lori Seto.
A spokesperson for the DOE told NY1, "We want our special ed students to travel on air-conditioned buses. We have asked companies to provide buses with AC where possible."
The Manhattan parents, as well as others in Brooklyn with the same problem, said they called the bus companies and Office of Pupil Transportation all week, but did not get any response until Friday, after NY1 began investigating.
"Ever since they heard from NY1, suddenly the bus was inspected today and we were told they have a brand new bus today with A/C," said Giglio.
The DOE confirmed that both bus routes NY1 asked about now have air conditioning.
Parents said on Friday that they were happy they were finally heard, but they were worried for their children, who have a harder time communicating.
"They can't speak up for themselves all the time and tell you what they need, that they're hot and that they feel like they're going to throw up or whatever it may be," said Seto. "This population especially needs support like this."